Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
4.5 Stars

Synopsis
Bowen MacRieve is determined to return his deceased mate to life, but the moment he sets eyes on Mariketa the Awaited he cannot resist the passion that burns between them. Mari is unable to control her immense powers until she must use them to protect the only thing she ever truly wanted - Bowen. Will Bowen and Mari risk everything to be together?

Review
Definitely lives up to its potential.

Mari is my favorite heroine in the series. She has incredible power and I love that she has no qualms using it against Bowen - she is one woman you don't want to meet in a dark alley.

In the previous books, Bowen's suffering made him a captivating character and his struggle to come to terms with his show more growing obsession with Mari only enhances his heroic status. There were times when I wanted to slap him upside the head for his prejudices, but he more than makes up for them by the end.

Together, Mari and Bowen are simply amazing. Their love/hate relationship is engrossing, their steamy scenes sexy as hell and their banter laugh-out-loud funny.

The beginning of the story overlaps with certain moments from the Talisman Hie originally depicted in No Rest for the Wicked, and it is interesting to see these events from Bowen's perspective. The rest of the plot is entertaining even if it is a little predictable toward the end but it all comes together in an explosive and satisfying conclusion.

Cole's world building is well detailed and compelling, and I particularly enjoyed the introduction of several new secondary characters who will ultimately get books of their own, i.e. the demon brothers Cade and Rydstrom.

All in all, a fun, fun, fun read. show less

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.

Until this installment I didn’t realize that many of the plots in this series run parallel to each other, so when I found myself back in the midst of the Hie I was ecstatic. It was interesting finding out what happened to Bowen after Sebastian trapped him, and learning more about the witch who cursed him. The two protagonists played a wonderfully devious game of cat and mouse throughout WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER’S NIGHT which made their dialogue hysterically funny, and their lovemaking mercurial, especially when MacRieve accidentally screamed his ex’s name. I had a blast listening to this title; Kresley Cole & Robert Petkoff are a powerhouse of audiobook wizardry!

Thus far, we’ve become versed in the show more intricate Lore surrounding this author’s Valkyries, vampires, and werewolves, so you’d be right to infer that my expectations vis-à-vis her witches were through the roof. Mariketa’s also part fey which means that Cole had heaps of awesome new material to work with, and rest assured that none of it was wasted. I loved discovering the powers related to the five casts, exploring the specifics surrounding the Awaited’s prophecy, and the captromancer powers were just plain cool (and creepy!). Other than a bit of glamour, and a couple of secondary characters, the fey elements were negligible which I’m assuming was intentional, and will be explored in a future installment.

I liked how dissimilar the two protagonists were; Mari is only twenty-two years old, hasn’t been frozen into her immortality yet, and is the embodiment of a modern young woman. In comparison, Bowen is ancient, has already found & lost his mate, and is prejudiced towards witches. Also, their relationship really got off on the wrong foot what with Mariketa cursing the werewolf, and MacRieve entombing her with crazed incubi. Watching these two attempt to bridge the gap was an exercise in futility, but when they finally give in to their baser instincts their chemistry was as clear as day. The twist at the end was exquisite, and I adored how it all came together.

With only three IMMORTALS AFTER DARK installments under my belt, and still ten left to go (plus novellas), I risk repeating myself with regards to Robert Petkoff’s narration; however for the time being I’ve no shortage of positive adjectives to use when it comes to his delivery of this series. His sinfully dreamy Scottish accent was back for a second lap, and in addition to it he unleashed Bowen’s beast with a guttural werewolf voice that succeeded in doing naughty things to my insides. I’m sure that Petkoff captured Mari’s character beautifully as well, but for some strange reason all I can remember is MacRieve. RAWR!

WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER’S NIGHT’s title is self-explanatory or in other words… hot, hot, HOT! show less

Bowen MacRieve, we've known since the first book, now it's his time to get a story, I warn you it's a bit dark.

Bowen lost his mate almost two hundred years ago, as the moon changed him he drove Mariah to fall off a cliff in her escape from him. Ever since he's been trying to find a way to bring her back, pining for her... until now, he's about to get his hands on the Prize of the Talisman's Hie a Key that can turn back time so that he can be with Mariah again. But he finds himself drawn to a contender, a witch, his immortal enemy, a woman hidden behind a red cloak, it takes only one kiss before he's ridden with guilt and abandon's her and fellow contestants in an old, rotting incubi, tomb.

Mariketa is the Awaited witch, one who has a show more great destiny to fill as soon as she becomes immortal first. Hiding behind her red cloak she's glamoured to throw off a prophecy that she's to be the mate of a Lore creature who'll end up taking her away from the witches. But that’s all but forgotten after Bowen's kiss and entombment, she's furious, she curses Bowen to lose his power to regenerate which loses him the Hie and his way to Mariah.

Bowen who can't get his mind off of Mariketa has to return for her and take her safely to the Lore or its full blown war, while fighting the feeling that she's his mate, perhaps one reincarnated or perhaps the wicked witch has put a spell on him! It doesn't matter as he has to have her, and he'll do whatever it takes to seduce the little witch.

Oh, but there’s more, a darkness is gaining on the distance to Mariketa, as while mortal she can be killed before she can fulfill her destiny and face Häxa, a goddess turned immortal, who’s played her like pawn throughout her life. And Bowen takes it upon himself to guard her, but there only so much a lone werewolf can do…

Kresley Cole is amazing! This series keeps getting better with every read, I love her set-up of enemies who turn to lovers - there is nothing quite as tempting as enemies whose passions are blazing but they don't want to do anything about, or wait, do they? These books are beautifully dark, brooding, sexy and this particularly makes you want to get lost in a jungle with a horny werewolf. ;)

Bowen has been a joy to read since the first book where Emma teases him that heroin chic was so 90's and Mariketa is wonderful slightly immature 22 year old mortal in the capable hands of 1200 year old werewolf, a witch with a power arsenal of atomic bomb, and she can't control her powers. The two make an entertaining couple!

I simply can't stop reading this series, I'm already over halfway through the next book, Dark Needs At Night's Edge.

Reviews @ For The Love of Reading! show less

Nope, not going any further with this series. This very nearly got a 1 or 2 star from me and would have if I hadn't ploughed through after the half-way mark.

She's not a possession, and that's the way he treats her at first. He talks about binning her contraceptive patch (hello, contraception isn't the only reason people use them), bins her vibrator, doesn't listen to her and then expects that she will fall over backwards to forgive him, and of bloody course she does because she's a doormat, not a whole person with attitude and backbone.

When he gets near the end the story becomes more believable and less one-sided in the power struggle, but this doesn't make me happy with the story and it would take some serious convincing to make me show more continue with the stories.

These are people with power, love does not lessen power, it often gives the person in love a solid place to come back to, a person to support them when the day gets dark. There may be compromise but in a good relationship it's on both sides. show less

Such a fun read!
Loved Mari even though she did make Bowen's life a bit difficult (or maybe partly Becouse of it?). She was a great heroine. And at least in this one the hero had a legit reason for being so tortured and tragic, the force majeure kind.
Yeah, really enjoyed this one. I think KC does a real good job at writing flawed yet lovable characters in a not so (though fallowing the genre rules) PNR.

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
4.5 Stars

Synopsis
Bowen MacRieve is determined to return his deceased mate to life, but the moment he sets eyes on Mariketa the Awaited he cannot resist the passion that burns between them. Mari is unable to control her immense powers until she must use them to protect the only thing she ever truly wanted - Bowen. Will Bowen and Mari risk everything to be together?

Review
Definitely lives up to its potential.

Mari is my favorite heroine in the series. She has incredible power and I love that she has no qualms using it against Bowen - she is one woman you don't want to meet in a dark alley.

In the previous books, Bowen's suffering made him a captivating character and his struggle to come to terms with his show more growing obsession with Mari only enhances his heroic status. There were times when I wanted to slap him upside the head for his prejudices, but he more than makes up for them by the end.

Together, Mari and Bowen are simply amazing. Their love/hate relationship is engrossing, their steamy scenes sexy as hell and their banter laugh-out-loud funny.

The beginning of the story overlaps with certain moments from the Talisman Hie originally depicted in No Rest for the Wicked, and it is interesting to see these events from Bowen's perspective. The rest of the plot is entertaining even if it is a little predictable toward the end but it all comes together in an explosive and satisfying conclusion.

Cole's world building is well detailed and compelling, and I particularly enjoyed the introduction of several new secondary characters who will ultimately get books of their own, i.e. the demon brothers Cade and Rydstrom.

All in all, a fun, fun, fun read. show less

Bowen MacReive is a Lykae cautionary tale. He lost his mate when she ran from him - and died. After centuries of half-life, he has one chance to return to the past and make things right. All he has to do is win the Talisman's Hie (think Amazing Race for immortals) and claim the prize. His competition - especially the witches - should beware.

Mariketa the Awaited has the potential to be the strongest witch ever. Unfortunately, what she's actually capable of seems to be blowing things up spectacularly, but not predictably. Winning the Hie will gain her some much needed respect, but since she's not yet immortal, it might just be the death of her.

Forced together by a curse, the pair might be fated - or they might kill one another. Odds are show more even either way.

Glass witch with misfiring powers = glitch. Love it! show less